Preview: June 11 Town Council meeting

Proposals to spend more than $450,000 to construct Ridgeway Park, nearly $260,000 to light the high school football field, nearly $160,000 for the first phase of a modernized computer network for the town, and $200,000 in affordable-housing funds head the agenda for the June 11, 2013, town council meeting.

The meeting agendas and related materials are here.

The council is asked to approve a contract for $406,481 for construction of a passive park on Ridgeway Avenue as well as $45,364 for lighting provided by PSE&G.

The administration is also asking the council to approve two contracts to install lighting for the high school football field and track -- $111,000 in a competitively bid installation award to Quality Electrical Construction and $146,734 for the equipment, which includes four poles.

A related bond ordinance is up for second and final reading reallocating funding for the lighting project, increasing the amount of proceeds to $275,000 from $200,000 by reducing the amount allocated to a concession stand to $275,000.

The council is also asked to review and approve a contract for equipment and installation of a modern computer network linking the various locations and computers in town government. Phase 1 is proposed for nearly $125,000 of equipment and another $35,000 for installation by Pascack Data. The three-phased project carries an estimated cost of nearly $390,000.

The council has received a 63-page report and analysis of the project that I’ve asked to be posted on the town website on the council meeting agenda page. It has not been posted, but it’s posted here on West Orange Grassroots.

The council is also asked to review and approve a proposal to provide $200,000 to the Daughters of Israel Geriatric Services, which runs a senior housing facility on Northfield Avenue, for emergency repairs to the kitchen. The funding is provided from developer fees as part of the Council on Affordable Housing program.

The administration is also asking the council to approve a new program, Emergency Repairs/Energy Efficiency to disburse COAH funds for low- and moderate-income homeowners. The council is asked to approve a proposed operating manual establishing the rules of the program.

In other proposals, the council is asked to:

- Approve a contract to Gabel Associates for energy aggregation consulting services. The only respondent to a request for proposals would be paid out of the savings produced by bulk purchase of power for town residents.

- Approve awarding a competitively bid, two-year contract to Mike Shannon Sports to provide athletic equipment, not to exceed $30,000. The company is the current vendor.

I’m a West Orange Township councilman since 2010, reachable at jkrakoviak@westorange.org. I am a business communications consultant in my spare time.